International Soccer
USMNT beat Australia, advance to Round 32 as group winners
There will be no nail-biting watch parties for the USMNT’s final group match next week.
The U.S. took care of business with a 2-0 win over Australia in Seattle on Friday and Paraguay’s 1-0 win over Türkiye clinched first place for the Yanks in Group D ahead of their final group match next Thursday.
Though a much grittier result than their 4-1 win to open the tournament in LA, Friday’s match showed a different side of the American side, one able to battle and grind out a result against a physical Australian team.
Like in the LA game, the U.S. struck early on an own goal with game one hero Folarin Balogun creating the opportunity in the 11th minute. It came in the 11th minute when Balogun got around the left side of the defense after running onto a pass from Antonee Robinson and rolled a cross into the middle of the box that was put in by defender Cameron Burgess.
The second goal came before halftime after Ricardo Pepi drew a foul near the endline. Robinson’s free kick found Sergino Dest open inside the D and his shot was blocked into the air and right to the waiting head of Alex Freeman, who nodded it in to double the lead.
Playing with a two-goal lead in the second half the U.S. was able to limit the Socceroos’ chances going forward and Wayne, Pa. native Matt Freese made a pair of saves to secure the clean sheet in his second FIFA World Cup start. Fellow Delaware County native Auston Trusty (Media, Pa.) came off the bench in the 80th minute to help see out the shutout and secure all three points for the second straight match.
The six points in group play are a first for the U.S., which hasn’t won two group matches in a World Cup since 1930.
The U.S. concludes its Group D schedule back in Southern California against Türkiye on Thursday, June 25 at 10 p.m. in Los Angeles. The Round of 32 runs June 28-July 3.
